Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-19
MARRIAGES IN TURKEY
Peculiar Methods of Matrtnony
and Bridal Customs


Marriage receives scarcely more atten
tion among the Turks than birth an'
death, and there is but little embarrass
inent from the administrative formalitie
that precede and accompany this solemn
act in the West. There are no bans, ne
announcements, no registrations. A maj
obtains a wife Just as he would buy Z
bouquet, but neither The buyer nor th'
seller, nor the intermediary, q ks for {
receipt, As it is forbidden man te
enter the harem of another teven II ht
were near relative of the latter 10 see O
young woman and talk with her, there are
no marriages for love and noengagements,
One faith meets another father, and
, says to him: "You have son, and
have daughter. II the mother OF your
son knows my daughter, let us strike a
bargain; il she does not know her, lei
them see each other, and then let us
close up the busin ess The conditions
are discussed, the dowry haggled over,
then all the arrangements between the
parents are made, and the young people
introduced to each other.
Let us add in passing, that among US
the marriages that are contracted in the
great capitals of Europe, especially in
Paris, do not depart far from this pro-
gramme. Ia France, however, man Is
still allowed to behold the object for the
acquisition of which negotiations are in
progress. In Turkey this is forbidden;
there marriage is lottery, indeed.
Turkish girls are promised usually
when they are very young, even at
tender age, when they are only three or
four years old. Ii the young bride
should happen to die before her mar
risge, or be required for tue Sultans
harem--for it may be promised that this
ia case that breaks oil engagements,
and is esteemed as great honor by
parents--the intended husband is not
expected to weep over what he loses,
for he has never seen il. When the
young girl reaches her twelfth or thir-
teenth year, or somewhat later, her four.
teenth year, she receives the nuptial
blessing, and the husband cannot see
the face of his wife until after that
ceremony.
No woman, not even the wife, takes
part in the solemnity of marriage, which
is effected by proxy, delegated to an
uncle or to an elder brothef, often with
a full beard, who plays the role OF the
bride. The parents OF the couple sign
the contract before the inman OF their
quarter. in the presence of a few friends,
who act as witnesses. The nuptials
are then celebrated by the families with
o calmness and gravity that would be as
suitable for funeral as for wedding.
The sexes never mingle at these fes-
tivaIs. The men take their pleasure in
silence in their selamlik; the women, a
little more nois,ly-it is lu. natural-in
the haremilk.
If the wife is too young Or has delicate
health, she is not intrusted to her hus-
band She is quickly shut up at her
mothers, or at her mother in laws,
sometimes for more than year, until 1t
shall please the latter to reuuite her
with her husband. 1t even happens
that the husband has had time to take a
sscond wife before receiving bis tirt.
1t is not, however, always happiness
that the young wife finds in hsr new sit
nation, where she is often obliged to
share with companions, and even black
and white slaves, the heart and the at
ientions of her husband. How often
have the poor creatures exchanged their
maiden ssclusion, captivity that a
mother always knows how 10 make
pleasant, for another secluson more mar
row, more severe, often aggravated by
the neglect of her husband, or by the
brutality and the bad treatment OF a
detestable guardian.-IThe Cosmoeol-
ltan.